Paul Marriott
Detctive Chief Inspector Paul Marriott is a senior counter-terrorism police officer seconded to the equalities division of Birmingham City Council where he is the Prevent programme manager.[1]
In November 2008, he defended a report by Waterhouse Consulting Group on Birmingham's Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder process, which argued that:
- "One one side of the wall are the violent extremists who have crossed the wall and are now engaged in violent activities. The PVE work must not focus on this group of people as they should be the concern of the security services. What the local Prevent work must focus on is the side of the wall where some young people are hanging around, walking towards or wanting to climb over.
- "They represent the young vulnerable people that must be targeted with specialist activities under the PVE programme underpinned by the necessary support required and space for their rehabilitation."[2]
According to the Birmingham Post, Marriott said that communities should have more understanding of Muslims, but that Muslims needed to do more to "get their message across."[3]
- "Most Muslims don't like the focus that seems to be put on them every time there is a terrorist arrest. The massive majority are decent, honest, aren't bad people and just want to live their lives as normally as possible. A lot of people say the phrase Preventing Violent Extremism isn't helpful, but I don't see how you can escape it.
- "We should not be hiding from the fact that violent extremism is there, we know it exists and we are trying to stop it."[4]
Notes
- ↑ Vikram Dodd, Government anti-terrorism strategy 'spies' on innocent, guardian.co.uk, 16 October 2009.
- ↑ Report's title sends out the wrong message, Birmingham Post, 20 November 2008.
- ↑ Report's title sends out the wrong message, Birmingham Post, 20 November 2008.
- ↑ Report's title sends out the wrong message, Birmingham Post, 20 November 2008.
